I was out hunting woodchucks yesterday (I have yet to get even ONE his year--another story all together [:@] ) and I walked around a treeline and found myself staring at a hen. Not too suprising. They-re all over the place here. She was facing away, so I just slowly squatted along the high grass and watched her. All of the sudden, I hear "kee kee...kee kee kee" from behind me in the treeline! I had never heard it before, and couldn't really "understand" the call until I heard it for real. Momma was about 10 yds away now, softly calling her polt back into the flock (4 hens, 7 polts). The polt popped out of the grass about 6 feet away from me. It was great. I actually got to watch the kee-kee/cluck conversation with real, unpressured turkey! Neither one even knew I was there. Once the whole flock got in the middle of the field, I figured that I wouldn't have another chance to "practice," so I busted up the flock to see how they reacted. I managed to scatter them with only 1 hen taking to the air. Was that the best idea...I don't know. I've never hunted turkey before this spring, so I'm still figuring things out. The intell I got from it was worth it in the end...I hope.

Anyway, it was an awesome opportunity to see the kee-kee in action before I need to use it to draw in the birds this fall. The polt's calls were very soft. Should I likewise use soft calling techniques this fall, or is it like anyother calling...you do what they like?

it was wonderful wasnt it up close & personal with a flock of birds its far enough from season that it wont hurt a bit turkey flocks get broke up all the time they are used to it & they are the best call teachers available next time maybe carry a small camera with you gettin that close any camera could take a good picture it sounds like you are on your way to a successful fall hunt just remember it can be as addictive as spring hunting i lay my deer rifle down for every fall season here in tn good luck in the fall

For some reason, I never seem to remember to bring a camera anywhere! I'll have to put up a "get your camera, stupid!" sign on the gun locker. It was pretty cool to see. I know that fall hunting will be just as addictive as spring, but I just couldn't ignore all those deer, ducks, and geese that need to end up in the freezer!

i feel ya on all the other critters fortunatly here in tn we can take turkeys in our archery season so im kind of multitasking & our fall gun hunts are when we have lulls in our deer season so it doesnt mess up my fall hunting for turkeys i might miss one weekend of deer hunting to bird hunt on a mngmnt area after the rut of course

It seems that you have just had the best teaching for the fall kee-kee, and kee kee run, possible. It has been my experience3 that the kee kee is a soft or quiet call as they are from the young of the flock, while the clucks, cackles,and light yelps of fall birds are from the adult hens. These are normally softer than spring, yet more vocal than the kee kee, since they are meant to be heard by the young from a considerable distance. Also, did you scream, holler, yell, and behave like a 10 yr. old, just exiting a freshly disturbed yellow jackets nest? If not you might want to exagerate your breakup method a bit. The better the breakup, the better your chances of success, besides it great fun and good for stress.

I'll give that a try next time. The ideal is to have them break up without taking flight, right?

Hey I didn't win my call yet!!![:@]

Just kidding. I'm still saving up the pennies, though. It'll be a while. My wife and kids are crazy enough to want a place to live and food to eat every day. I told her that I would build us a shelter out in the woods...but no deal.[;)]

in my opinion its not a good bust unless some birds take flight they might just fly up in a near by tree they might fly 1/2 a mile but if you sit long & still they will come back to the bust sight @least some where near by when hunting i usualy try to take a bird in my bust i sneek in close 30 yards or so knock a birds head then jump up & run into the middle of them as fast & hard as i can & you better believe some birds fly away then i sit for a few then lightly start to call i usually start with a quiet cluck

Evenin' fellow turkey addicts.Very sound advice from all . I recall hunting several fall seasons before I learned the kee-kee , and I heard it on a computer! Two years ago I really wanted to take a gobbler and was out ther opening morning moving around the woods doing some gobbler clucks.Stopped on a ridge top just to listen a while. I stood still and quiet for about ten minutes and the gave 1 gobbler cluck . Another 5 minutes passed without a response. As I started to move I heard a faint cluck and froze . Seconds later a mixed flock of hens and young of the year came right out of the thick stuff at about 10 yards . I just stood still as they all milled around me looking me up and down. Each one taking it's turn to look while another would eat and scratch. Finally they started moving away and I decided to play with them .They were about 35 yards when I let out KEE-KEE RUN that flowed right into a jake gobble.The gobble I made was not completed before the jakes in that bunch all gobbled and at least half of them went to fighting and chasing . They were really making a lot of noise.Then they got quiet and came back to have another look at me . This time they lined out in single file and slowly marched by at about 15 yards. I let them get out to about 35 yards again and repeated the kee-kee run gobble and they repeated the show for me . When they settled down I took out after them just to see what kind of scatter I might get . There were at least 25 birds and they went to the four winds .So I just got comfortable and waited about 10 minutes and let out A KEE-KEE. It was immediately answered and soon ther was a jenny and a jake within gun range . I started moving and they ran off . I moved about 50 yards and kee-kee'd again and called in another pair within gun range . I let them all go and by that time ther were young birds calling all around me. Some close ,some far , some in the trees. Then the boss hen sounded the assembly and all was quiet. I hope to run into a flock of jakes to try out a fighting purr on the m to see how they respond . LATER 'OLD SCHOOL TURKEY TACTICS''